1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation device and an image formation method that form an image by ejecting droplets onto a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image formation devices that eject ink drops from an inkjet recording head onto a recording medium such as a sheet is conventionally known.
In such an image formation device, when high-speed image formation is carried out by using a linear inkjet recording head having the width of a page for example, a heating and drying process is needed after the ink drawing process, in order to ensure the rub-fastness of the image surface of the sheet and to reduce deformation of the sheet caused by moisture in the ink.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2006-142613 discloses a device that heats and dries ink drops, that have been ejected onto a recording medium, by an n near-infrared flash lamp of a wavelength of 700 nm to 1000 nm.
Further, JP-A No. 2010-512256 discloses a device that heats and dries ink, that has been ejected onto a sheet base material, by an near-infrared lamp (an IR LED array or an NIR array or the like) of a wavelength of 750 nm to 1400 nm.
Moreover, JP-A No. 2009-166262 discloses a device in which the ink contains heat-fusible particles of a fusing temperature of 40° C. to 130° C., and that, after image drawing, heats the surface on which the image is drawn to greater than or equal to 40° C. to 130° C. by a non-contact type infrared heater or by a contact heating film.
In an image formation device, heating by an infrared heater in particular is preferable from the standpoint of the drying efficiency. However, when carrying out heating by using an infrared heater, thermal damage of the sheet at the non-image portions becomes problematic. Namely, the moisture contained in the sheet is volatilized by heating of the blank portions, and sheet shrinkage of the non-image portions occurs, and cockling (undulations) or wrinkles may be brought about.
Further, when attempts are made to apply inkjet recording to commercial printing fields, adaptability to general-purpose coated paper that is used in offset printers and the like is required. However, when the drying technique described above is applied to general-purpose coated paper, protrusions of the image surface called blisters (or burn blisters) may arise.